I am glad that the school is really into extracurricular activities. At least one of the teachers made a point of advising the kids to learn to prioritize to fit in activities. The teachers volunteer so I don't think that cutbacks are really an issue.
DS figured out a couple of years ago that he wants to play live chess with other kids without the craziness of competition. He tried a couple of tournaments but had a couple of minor negative incidents. One time a hyper-competitive parent volunteer made a huge deal of stopping the game with his own child after another volunteer already seated DS even though he technically arrived late. DS just thought it was kind of weird to go all crazy over a cheap trophy (money prizes he would have understood).
I think Quiz Bowl he would enjoy the most, both for the social aspect and the competition.
